Benin report - Institut Africain de la Gouvernance

CHAPTER TWO: HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND CURRENT CHALLENGES__________________________________________________________________________Benin. Fully cognisant of the situation, the government‟s developmentalpolicy proposes to repair the entire administration through the effectiveimplementation of a series of reforms. The stated objective is to transform theadministration into a modern „development administration‟ in response to theneeds of an emerging Benin.93. The poor capacity of Benin‟s legal system, in terms of both access andefficacy, is another major issue of concern. Indeed, despite the relativeindependence it enjoys, the judicial system lacks human, financial andmaterial resources to fulfil its role. This is the reason behind the long delays inthe courts.94. In addition to these structural problems, the persistence of corruption at alllevels weakens, and will continue to weaken, the process of consolidatingdemocracy and will jeopardise economic and social developmental efforts.Will the personal commitment and determination of the current head of statefacilitate the eradication all these difficulties? Only time will tell. The clearlydisplayed political will and the vigorous actions already undertaken mayinspire hope in this essential area.95. In the face of this sluggishness and these challenges and goals for the future ofthe nation, it should be acknowledged that Benin has assets that can enable itto realise its ambition of becoming an emerging country. These assets include:(i) Political will, which has helped to define a long-term vision for the countryand to translate this vision into strategic development orientations. Theseorientations form the framework for the definitions of GPRS and sectoralpolicies, and also entrench the values and cultures of democracy, human rightsand sociopolitical stability; (ii) A vast agricultural potential. Benin has 4.8million hectares of arable land, of which hardly 1 million hectares arecultivated; (iii) Fishing, stockbreeding, forestry and even mining and tourismpotentials, which are inadequately exploited; (iv) Its geographical position.Benin has 125 km of coast equipped with a major port, about 700 km of acommon border with Nigeria (which represents a market of nearly 140 millionpotential consumers), and it borders with landlocked countries like Niger andBurkina Faso; (v) The youth and the dynamism of the population; (vi) Theskills of the local labour force; (vii) The dynamism of the informal sector; andfinally, (viii) Membership of regional monetary and economic groups. Allthese assets are helping the country to develop a solid productive base andprepare for its entry into the club of emerging African countries. In order to dothat, Benin must ensure that it coordinates the implementation of itsdevelopmental strategies and their translation into sector policies. It must alsostruggle resolutely against the general canker of corruption, which has becomemore or less internalised as a culture and a mode, or instrument, ofgovernance. It must also guard against the absence of accountability in theimplementation of development policies.57